Fifty students at KIPP DC's Smilow Campus in Ward 7 are getting free meals, mentorship, and after-school sports three afternoons a week this fall, part of a new Junior Academy pilot program the Washington Commanders launched this month. The team's ownership joined the 2026 Commanders rookie class at the campus to help reopen a newly refurbished athletic field and paint alongside 4th and 5th grade students.
The pilot is part of the Commanders Youth Academy, a broader initiative offering academic and athletic programming plus mentorship with a focus on Ward 7 and Ward 8, as reported by WJLA. The Washington Commanders Foundation put a six-figure investment into refurbishing the school's field before reopening it, and the team says it is focused on investing in D.C. youth specifically in the Ward 7 and Ward 8 neighborhoods. Rookies including linebacker Sonny Styles, Matt Gulbin, Antonio Williams, Athan Kaliakmanis, and Kaytron Allen ran plays with children on the field, and students also met Commanders owner Marjorie Harris.
“The NFL's resources and outreach, along with the Commanders and NFL logos, can help the community,” Styles said, per the station's report, adding that he is excited to do more events like this in the future.
A Front-Office Bridge to D.C.'s Charter Schools
The academic side of the Junior Academy carries an unusual credential: it's overseen by Susan Schaeffler, the founder and former longtime chief executive of KIPP DC, who now serves as Founding Executive Director of the Commanders Youth Academy. Schaeffler launched KIPP DC's first school in 2001 and led the network for more than two decades before moving into the NFL front-office role, according to background compiled by the Washington Commanders. That history gives the team a direct institutional line into the charter network hosting its pilot, and KIPP DC now operates 20 schools and serves more than 7,500 students.
Smilow Campus itself, at 5300 Blaine Street NE, is a 110,000-square-foot facility dedicated in 2016 after a $4.2 million gift from philanthropist Joel E. Smilow expanded play, athletic, and classroom space for up to 1,100 students. The campus houses three schools — Arts and Technology Academy, Quest Academy, and Valor Academy — and Quest Academy is the elementary school serving grades 1 through 4.
Meals Meet a Documented Food Gap
The Junior Academy's meal and snack component is part of the pilot's support for students. A 2024 study cited by WJLA found that families east of the Anacostia River, specifically in Ward 7 and Ward 8, face greater hunger and poverty than families in other D.C. wards.
A 2024 study cited by WJLA also examined food insecurity. Against that backdrop, the pilot's promise of nourishing meals and snacks three afternoons a week is framed as directly addressing a gap rather than simply supplementing it.
Tied to a $20 Million, 30-Year City Commitment
The Ward 7 focus isn't incidental. The broader effort is discussed alongside a proposed $2.7 billion RFK stadium investment.
The team has also supported youth-focused community programming.
The Junior Academy pilot serves as a model the Commanders Foundation is using to gauge whether to expand programming to additional schools, per WJLA's reporting. For now, the effort remains a single-campus pilot: 50 students, three afternoons a week, for one school year — with a much larger public investment and redevelopment plan waiting to see whether it grows.
